Review: Batman Beyond #32

Batman is
battling the Splitt, who can divide himself in two – or maybe he’s two people
who can combine into a single body, I’m not really sure. Either way, that’s not
the extent of his powers, as Batman Beyond will soon discover. Writer Dan
Jurgens presents a dilemma I’m surprised we haven’t seen more of in the past, a
case of mistaken abilities.

Jurgens has been writing Batman Beyond for over 30 issues. It’s
refreshing to see that kind of commitment to a title in an era when comic
creators rotate among titles so rapidly. I genuinely hope he continues to apply
his skills as a storyteller on the book indefinitely. His history as an artist
I think provides him with an added sensibility to convey adequate art
direction.

Ric Leonardi and Ande
Parks are both seasoned pros who need little guidance in translating words into
pictures, so among the three of them, the story all but tells itself. Their
combined experience in the art of comic book making enables a broader
exploration of telling great stories, relatively free from burdensome
continuity issues.

Unfortunately, this
chapter confirms a suspicion held over from last issue, as Bruce Wayne
seemingly abandons his commitment to the Brother McGinnis. There’s more to this
than meets the eye, at least until now. If other readers haven’t figured it
out, they’re simply not paying attention. But now that it’s obvious, Jurgen
& Co. need not try so hard. Instead, they can concentrate on presenting and
enjoyable conclusion to the plot point.